Charismatic Concerns

 Those within the Charismatic movement in the USA who are raising concerns about the fallout from various high profile exposures,  serious moral failures and falls from grace.  There have been resignations after report of sexual misconduct and highly inappropriate behaviour by leaders and those in high profile ministries.  There is also concern about the mendacity of leaders involved in protecting and covering up abuse, deceit and corruption.

It seems that there has too much emphasis on building up these high profile leaders, popular preachers and super star speakers at conferences.  They have been cleverly promoted and positioned at large gatherings and given lucrative preaching engagements.  Book deals, advertising, media reviews and endorsements have helped enormously. Some leaders had a very inflated view of their ministry and importance. Some have come crashing down and the results are painful.  The victims are revealing inconvenient truth and bad fruit is eventually apparent.

Another grave concern is in weakness of the Charismatic preaching which has failed to articulate the basic Gospel.  I have found the Wake Up and Win podcasts, and Mike Wingers' insights on YouTube very revealing. Some mega church ministries have obscured the truth in a haze of half truths, comfortable words, spiritually weak words, watered down messages, so that there is no conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment.  The Cross has little meaning according to this weak message.  Repentance and renouncing worldly ways, holiness and the pursuit of theological clarity are seriously absent.  The flock are kept in a state of theological and spiritual infancy.  There is little depth and width of knowledge, disciplined discipleship and godly experience.  Some years ago Willow Creek found that there was a lack of growth, shallow Bible knowledge and Christian maturity.  It is now reported to be the case within certain circles at Bethel Chapel, Redding, California, IHOP Kansas City and other large congregations. Superficiality and shallowness are allegedly rife.  Sound and profound Bible knowledge is apparently lacking.  Is there a famine of the Word of God???